Methods and apparatus to synergically control a welding-type output during a welding-type operation

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus to synergically control a welding-type output during a welding-type operation are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes a power conversion circuit configured to convert input power to welding-type power and to output the welding-type power to a welding-type torch; a communication circuit configured to receive a control signal from a remote control device during a welding-type operation; and a control circuit configured to synergically control a voltage of the welding-type power and a wire feed speed based on the control signal.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to welding and, more particularly, tomethods and apparatus to synergically control a welding-type outputduring a welding-type operation.

SUMMARY

Methods and apparatus to synergically control a welding-type outputduring a welding-type operation are disclosed, substantially asillustrated by and described in connection with at least one of thefigures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example welding-type system including aremote wire feeder and configured to provide synergic power control, inaccordance with aspects of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another example welding-type systemconfigured to provide synergic power control with a welding-type powersupply having an integrated wire feeder, in accordance with aspects ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another example welding-type systemincluding a power control circuit configured to provide synergic powercontrol, in accordance with aspects of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example implementation of the powercontrol circuit of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is an example table including corresponding voltage, wire feedspeed, and process modes that may be used to determine voltagesetpoints, wire feed speed setpoints, and/or process modes forperforming welding operations.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart representative of example machine readableinstructions which may be executed to implement one or more disclosedexample methods and/or apparatus.

The figures are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate, similar oridentical reference numbers are used to refer to similar or identicalcomponents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also referred to as MIG welding, isconventionally performed with a wire feed speed and voltage that ispreselected prior to performing a weld. For instance, conventionalwelding power supplies may be controlled via knobs or buttons on thefront panel of the welding power supply. If the operator selects toolittle power, the resulting weld may lack fusion and the weld may fail.Conversely, if the operator selects too much power, burn-through of thematerial may occur, creating a hole instead of a welded joint.

Some conventional welders, such as the Millermatic® 211 Auto-Set™ MIGWelder from Miller Electric Mfg. Co., makes the task of selecting weldparameters easier by permitting the operator to select both wire feedspeed and voltage based on the wire size and material thickness.Preselection of the welding parameters is effective when the workpieceis of a uniform thickness and geometry, but in some situations theworkpiece may have varying thickness and/or geometry. For instance, ifan operator is welding a workpiece in which the workpiece progressivelynarrows, the heat sink capability of the metal is reduced and using thesame power settings for the entire distance may result in burn-throughand creating a hole.

Disclosed example methods and apparatus provide a welding-type powersupply for GMAW welding that enables an operator to synergically adjustthe output power during welding. An example method of synergicadjustment by an operator involves manipulating a control on the torchthat is easily accessible to the operator during welding.

Where conventional welding-type power supplies may provide recommendedvoltage and wire feed speed, and permit a user to vary the voltageand/or wire feed speed within a specified narrow range, disclosedexamples provide a control device that permits the operator to adjustthe output power of a GMAW welding-type power supply over a wideoperation range. For example, a manually adjustable control on the weldtorch may be provided to adjust the power synergically by simultaneouslychanging the output voltage and the wire feed speed to raise or lowerthe output power to suit the work conditions and the weldment. Theexample welding torch, and the attached power supply and/or remote wirefeeder, changes the welding output power and/or the wire feed speedwhile the operator is welding with an easy to use method such as avariable-input (e.g., analog input) trigger.

Some example methods and apparatus further automatically change a modeof operation or deposition mode during welding, such that the operatorcan change processes on-the-fly in a continuously variable manner, suchthat the operator has a very wide operating range of the output power.For example, if the operator wants to go from a first power operation ordeposition mode (e.g., short arc welding) to a higher power operation ordeposition mode (e.g., pulse spray welding), such as if the operatorencounters an increase in the thickness of the work piece being welded,a power control circuit may follow a synergic control scheme to slowlyraise the output voltage and the wire feed speed until the wiretransitions from a short arc condition to a pulsed spray condition. Inanother example scenario, the a power control circuit may allow theoperator to transition from a first power operation or deposition mode(e.g., short arc welding) to a lower power operation or deposition mode(e.g., Regulated Metal Deposition (RMD™)). Disclosed examples enable anoperator to enter other deposition modes, such as a Controlled ShortCircuit (CSC) process, and/or arcless ‘hotwire’ deposition. An operatormay change between the different deposition modes on-the-fly during awelding operation to finely control wire deposition and/or heat input tothe weld.

As used herein, the term “welding-type power” refers to power suitablefor welding, plasma cutting, induction heating, CAC-A and/or hot wirewelding/preheating (including laser welding and laser cladding). As usedherein, the term “welding-type power supply” refers to any devicecapable of, when power is applied thereto, supplying welding, plasmacutting, induction heating, CAC-A and/or hot wire welding/preheating(including laser welding and laser cladding) power, including but notlimited to inverters, converters, resonant power supplies,quasi-resonant power supplies, and the like, as well as controlcircuitry and other ancillary circuitry associated therewith.

As used herein, a welding-type power supply refers to any device capableof, when power is applied thereto, supplying welding, cladding, plasmacutting, induction heating, laser (including laser welding, laserhybrid, and laser cladding), carbon arc cutting or gouging and/orresistive preheating, including but not limited totransformer-rectifiers, inverters, converters, resonant power supplies,quasi-resonant power supplies, switch-mode power supplies, etc., as wellas control circuitry and other ancillary circuitry associated therewith.

As used herein, a “weld voltage setpoint” refers to a voltage input tothe power converter via a user interface, network communication, weldprocedure specification, or other selection method.

As used herein, a “circuit” includes any analog and/or digitalcomponents, power and/or control elements, such as a microprocessor,digital signal processor (DSP), software, and the like, discrete and/orintegrated components, or portions and/or combinations thereof.

As used herein, “synergic control” refers to controlling two or morevariables or components according to a specified relationship.

As used herein, the term “remote wire feeder” refers to a wire feederthat is not integrated with the power supply in a single housing.

Disclosed example welding-type power supplies include a power conversioncircuit, a communication circuit, and a control circuit. The powerconversion circuit converts input power to welding-type power andoutputs the welding-type power to a welding-type torch. Thecommunication circuit receives a control signal from a remote controldevice during a welding-type operation, and the control circuitsynergically controls a voltage of the welding-type power and a wirefeed speed based on the control signal.

In some examples, the control circuit synergically controls the voltageand the wire feed speed by: setting a commanded power level of thewelding-type power based on the control signal, determining the voltageand the wire feed speed corresponding to the commanded power level,controlling the power conversion circuit to output the voltage, andcontrolling a wire feeder based on the wire feed speed. In some suchexamples, the control circuit accesses a lookup table to determine thecommanded power level of the welding-type power based on the controlsignal.

In some example welding-type power supplies, the communication circuitreceives the control signal from at least one of the welding-type torchor a foot pedal. In some examples, the control circuit synergicallycontrols the voltage of the welding-type power by changing a depositionmode from a first deposition mode to a second deposition mode inresponse to the control signal. In some such examples, the firstdeposition mode is an arcless hotwire mode, a regulated metal depositionmode, a controlled short circuit mode, a short arc mode, a pulse spraymode, or a spray transfer mode, and the second deposition mode isanother of the arcless hotwire mode, the regulated metal depositionmode, the controlled short circuit mode, the short arc mode, the pulsespray mode, or the spray transfer mode.

In some example welding-type power supplies, the control circuitsynergically controls the voltage of the welding-type power and the wirefeed speed to enable manual control of a heat input to the welding-typeoperation in real time during the welding-type operation. In someexamples, the control circuit synergically controls the voltage of thewelding-type power and the wire feed speed by controlling a remote wirefeeder based on the wire feed speed. In some example welding-type powersupplies as defined in claim 1, the control circuit selects the voltagefrom a substantially contiguous voltage range and selects the wire feedspeed from a substantially contiguous wire feed speed range.

Disclosed example control devices for a welding-type system include aninput circuit, a control circuit, and an output circuit. The inputcircuit identifies a user input during a welding-type operationinvolving welding-type power. The control circuit determines a voltageadjustment of the welding-type power and a wire feed speed adjustmentbased on the user input, and based on a synergic control scheme for avoltage of the welding-type power and a wire feed speed. The outputcircuit generates one or more control signals to control a welding-typepower supply providing the welding-type power to perform the voltageadjustment and to control a wire feeder to perform the wire feed speedadjustment.

In some example control devices, the control circuit determines thevoltage adjustment and the wire feed speed adjustment based on thesynergic control scheme by looking up the voltage adjustment and thewire feed speed adjustment in a lookup table. In some examples, thecontrol circuit changes a deposition mode from a first deposition modeto a second deposition mode in response to the user input based on atleast one of the voltage adjustment or the wire feed speed adjustment.In some such examples, the first deposition mode is an arcless hotwiremode, a regulated metal deposition mode, a controlled short circuitmode, a short arc mode, a pulse spray mode, or a spray transfer mode,and the second deposition mode is another of the arcless hotwire mode,the regulated metal deposition mode, the controlled short circuit mode,the short arc mode, the pulse spray mode, or the spray transfer mode.

In some example control circuits, the output circuit transmits at leastone of the one or more control signals to a remote wire feeder tocontrol the remote wire feeder based on the wire feed speed adjustment.In some examples, the output circuit transmits at least one of the oneor more control signals to the welding-type power supply to control thewelding-type power supply based on the voltage adjustment. In someexamples, the control device is a welding-type torch, a foot pedal, thewelding-type power supply, or a remote wire feeder.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an examplewelding system 100 having a welding-type power supply 102, a wire feeder104, and a welding torch 106. The welding system 100 powers, controls,and supplies consumables to a welding application. The example weldingtorch 106 is configured for gas metal arc welding (GMAW). In theillustrated example, the power supply 102 is configured to supply powerto the wire feeder 104, and the wire feeder 104 may be configured toroute the input power to the welding torch 106. In addition to supplyingan input power, the wire feeder 104 supplies a filler metal to a weldingtorch 106 for various welding applications (e.g., GMAW welding, fluxcore arc welding (FCAW)).

The power supply 102 receives primary power 108 (e.g., from the AC powergrid, an engine/generator set, a battery, or other energy generating orstorage devices, or a combination thereof), conditions the primarypower, and provides an output power to one or more welding devices inaccordance with demands of the system 100. The primary power 108 may besupplied from an offsite location (e.g., the primary power may originatefrom the power grid). The power supply 102 includes a power converter110, which may include transformers, rectifiers, switches, and so forth,capable of converting the AC input power to AC and/or DC output power asdictated by the demands of the system 100 (e.g., particular weldingprocesses and regimes). The power converter 110 converts input power(e.g., the primary power 108) to welding-type power based on a weldvoltage setpoint and outputs the welding-type power via a weld circuit.

In some examples, the power converter 110 is configured to convert theprimary power 108 to both welding-type power and auxiliary poweroutputs. However, in other examples, the power converter 110 is adaptedto convert primary power only to a weld power output, and a separateauxiliary converter is provided to convert primary power to auxiliarypower. In some other examples, the power supply 102 receives a convertedauxiliary power output directly from a wall outlet. Any suitable powerconversion system or mechanism may be employed by the power supply 102to generate and supply both weld and auxiliary power.

The power supply 102 includes a controller 112 to control the operationof the power supply 102. The power supply 102 also includes a userinterface 114. The controller 112 receives input from the user interface114, through which a user may choose a process and/or input desiredparameters (e.g., voltages, currents, particular pulsed or non-pulsedwelding regimes, and so forth). The user interface 114 may receiveinputs using any input device, such as via a keypad, keyboard, buttons,touch screen, voice activation system, wireless device, etc.Furthermore, the controller 112 controls operating parameters based oninput by the user as well as based on other current operatingparameters. Specifically, the user interface 114 may include a display116 for presenting, showing, or indicating, information to an operator.The controller 112 may also include interface circuitry forcommunicating data to other devices in the system 100, such as the wirefeeder 104. For example, in some situations, the power supply 102wirelessly communicates with the wire feeder 104 and/or other weldingdevices within the welding system 100. Further, in some situations, thepower supply 102 communicates with the wire feeder 104 and/or otherwelding devices using a wired connection, such as by using a networkinterface controller (NIC) to communicate data via a network (e.g.,ETHERNET, 10BASE2, 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, etc.).

The controller 112 includes at least one processor 120 that controls theoperations of the power supply 102. The controller 112 receives andprocesses multiple inputs associated with the performance and demands ofthe system 100. The processor 120 may include one or moremicroprocessors, such as one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors,one or more special-purpose microprocessors and/or ASICS, and/or anyother type of processing device and/or logic circuit. For example, theprocessor 120 may include one or more digital signal processors (DSPs).

The example controller 112 includes one or more storage device(s) 123and one or more memory device(s) 124. The storage device(s) 123 (e.g.,nonvolatile storage) may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, and/orany other suitable optical, magnetic, and/or solid-state storage medium,and/or a combination thereof. The storage device 123 stores data (e.g.,data corresponding to a welding application), instructions (e.g.,software or firmware to perform welding processes), and/or any otherappropriate data. Examples of stored data for a welding applicationinclude an attitude (e.g., orientation) of a welding torch, a distancebetween the contact tip and a workpiece, a voltage, a current, weldingdevice settings, and so forth.

The memory device 124 may include a volatile memory, such as randomaccess memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as read-onlymemory (ROM). The memory device 124 and/or the storage device(s) 123 maystore a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. Forexample, the memory device 124 and/or the storage device(s) 123 maystore processor executable instructions 125 (e.g., firmware or software)for the processor 120 to execute. In addition, one or more controlregimes for various welding processes, along with associated settingsand parameters, may be stored in the storage device 123 and/or memorydevice 124, along with code configured to provide a specific output(e.g., initiate wire feed, enable gas flow, capture welding currentdata, detect short circuit parameters, determine amount of spatter)during operation.

In some examples, the welding power flows from the power converter 110through a weld cable 126 to the wire feeder 104 and the welding torch106. The example weld cable 126 is attachable and detachable from weldstuds at each of the power supply 102 and the wire feeder 104 (e.g., toenable ease of replacement of the weld cable 126 in case of wear ordamage).

The example communications transceiver 118 includes a receiver circuit121 and a transmitter circuit 122. Generally, the receiver circuit 121receives data transmitted by the wire feeder 104 and the transmittercircuit 122 transmits data to the wire feeder 104. The example wirefeeder 104 also includes a communications transceiver 119, which may besimilar or identical in construction and/or function as thecommunications transceiver 118.

In some examples, a gas supply 128 provides shielding gases, such asargon, helium, carbon dioxide, and so forth, depending upon the weldingapplication. The shielding gas flows to a valve 130, which controls theflow of gas, and if desired, may be selected to allow for modulating orregulating the amount of gas supplied to a welding application. Thevalve 130 may be opened, closed, or otherwise operated by the controller112 to enable, inhibit, or control gas flow (e.g., shielding gas)through the valve 130. Shielding gas exits the valve 130 and flowsthrough a cable 132 (which in some implementations may be packaged withthe welding power output) to the wire feeder 104 which provides theshielding gas to the welding application. In some examples, the weldingsystem 100 does not include the gas supply 128, the valve 130, and/orthe cable 132. In some other examples, the valve 130 is located in thewire feeder 104, and, the gas supply 128 is connected to the wire feeder104.

In some examples, the wire feeder 104 uses the welding power to powerthe various components in the wire feeder 104, such as to power a wirefeeder controller 134. As noted above, the weld cable 126 may beconfigured to provide or supply the welding power. The wire feedercontroller 134 controls the operations of the wire feeder 104. In someexamples, the wire feeder 104 uses the wire feeder controller 134 todetect whether the wire feeder 104 is in communication with the powersupply 102 and to detect a current welding process of the power supply102 if the wire feeder 104 is in communication with the power supply102.

A contactor 135 (e.g., high amperage relay) is controlled by the wirefeeder controller 134 and configured to enable or inhibit welding powerto continue to flow to the weld cable 126 for the welding application.In some examples, the contactor 135 is an electromechanical device.However, the contactor 135 may be any other suitable device, such as asolid state device, and/or may be omitted entirely and the weld cable126 is directly connected to the output to the weld torch 106. The wirefeeder 104 includes a wire drive 136 that receives control signals fromthe wire feeder controller 134 to drive rollers 138 that rotate to pullwire off a spool 140 of wire. The wire drive 136 feeds electrode wire tothe weld torch 106. The wire is provided to the welding applicationthrough a torch cable 142. Likewise, the wire feeder 104 may provide theshielding gas from the cable 132 through the cable 142. The electrodewire, the shield gas, and the power from the weld cable 126 are bundledtogether in a single torch cable 144 and/or individually provided to thewelding torch 106.

The welding torch 106 delivers the wire, welding power, and/or shieldinggas for a welding application. The welding torch 106 is used toestablish a welding arc between the welding torch 106 and a workpiece146. A work cable 148 couples the workpiece 146 to the power supply 102(e.g., to the power converter 110) to provide a return path for the weldcurrent (e.g., as part of the weld circuit). The example work cable 148is attachable and/or detachable from the power supply 102 for ease ofreplacement of the work cable 148. The work cable 148 may be terminatedwith a clamp 150 (or another power connecting device), which couples thepower supply 102 to the workpiece 146.

A communication cable 154 connected between the power supply 102 and thewire feeder 104, which enables bidirectional communication between thetransceivers 118, 119. The communications transceivers 118 and 119 maycommunicate via the communication cable 154, via the weld circuit, viawireless communications, and/or any other communication medium. Examplesof such communications include weld cable voltage measured at a devicethat is remote from the power supply 102 (e.g., the wire feeder 104).

The example torch 106 includes a power selector circuit 156 to permitthe user of the torch (e.g., the welder) to make adjustments to thewelding output from the torch in a synergic manner. For example, as theuser makes adjustments via the power selector circuit 156, the powersupply 102 and the wire feeder 104 synergically change the outputvoltage and the wire feed speed of the weld. An example implementationof the power selector circuit 156 is a pressure-sensitive trigger. Forinstance, the torch 106 may include the same trigger used inconventional welding-type torches, modified to provide an analog signalor encoded digital signal to represent an amount of input to thetrigger. In some examples, the operator may incrementally depress thetrigger (e.g., apply more pressure) to synergically increase the voltageand wire feed speed and/or incrementally release the trigger (e.g.,apply less pressure) to synergically decrease the voltage and wire feedspeed. Alternative implementations of the power selector circuit 156include a wheel or slide configured to control a potentiometer andpositioned to enable an operator to manipulate the input while welding(e.g., while simultaneously holding the trigger).

The power selector circuit 156 outputs a control signal 158 to a powercontrol circuit 160 of the wire feeder 104. The control signal 158 maybe an analog or digital signal that represents the output from the powerselector circuit 156. The example power control circuit 160 may beimplemented using the controller 134 and/or as a separate circuit. Thepower control circuit 160 identifies a user input (e.g., an input fromthe power selector circuit 156) during a welding-type operationinvolving welding-type power. The power control circuit 160 determines,based on the user input, a voltage adjustment for the welding-type powerand a wire feed speed adjustment. For example, the power control circuit160 may reference a synergic control scheme, such as an algorithm or alookup table, to determine a voltage setpoint and/or a wire feed speedsetpoint corresponding to the user input. A lookup table may be storedin, for example, the storage device(s) 123 and/or the memory 124 of thecontroller 134.

The example power control circuit 160 generates one or more controlsignals to control the welding-type power supply 102 to perform avoltage adjustment and to control the wire feeder 104 to perform a wirefeed speed adjustment. For example, the power control circuit 160 mayprovide a wire feed speed command to the controller 134 to control thewire feed speed of the wire drive 136, and/or transmit a control signalto the power supply 102 via the communications transceiver 119 and thecommunications cable 154 to control the output voltage of the powersupply 102.

In some examples, the synergic control of the voltage and the wire feedspeed causes the power control circuit 160 to change a deposition modein response to the user input via the power selector circuit 156. Forexample, GMAW deposition modes, such as an arcless hotwire mode, aregulated metal deposition mode, a controlled short circuit mode, ashort arc mode, a pulse spray mode, or a spray transfer mode, typicallycorrespond to different voltage ranges (with some overlap between somemodes).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another example welding-type system 200configured to provide synergic power control with a welding-type powersupply 202 having an integrated wire feeder 204. The examplewelding-type power supply 202 includes the power converter 110,controller 112, the user interface 114, the display 116, theprocessor(s) 120, the storage devices(s) 123, the memory 124, theinstructions 125, and the valve 130 of the example power supply 102 ofFIG. 1 .

In contrast with the example system 100, in the example of FIG. 2 thepower supply 202 includes the integrated wire feeder 204 instead beingconnected to a remote wire feeder. The power supply 202 of FIG. 2outputs welding-type power and electrode wire to the torch 106, whichincludes the example power selector circuit 156.

The integrated wire feeder 204 includes the wire drive 136, the driverollers 138, and the wire spool 140, and feeds the wire through a torchcable 142 to the torch 106.

The example welding-type power supply 202 includes a communicationcircuit 206 to receive the control signal 158 from the power selectorcircuit 156 (e.g., during a welding operation). In some examples, thecommunication circuit 206 converts an analog signal to a digital signalfor use by the controller 112 and/or receives a digital signal from thepower selector circuit 156. The example controller 112 synergicallycontrols the voltage of the welding-type power (e.g., by controlling thepower converter 110) and the wire feed speed (e.g., by controlling thewire drive 136) based on the control signal 158. In this manner, theexample controller 112 may operate in a similar manner as the powercontrol circuit 160 of FIG. 1 .

The controller 112 may reference a synergic control scheme, such as analgorithm or a lookup table, to determine a voltage setpoint and/or awire feed speed setpoint corresponding to the user input. A lookup tablemay be stored in, for example, the storage device(s) 123 and/or thememory 124 of the controller 112.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another example welding-type system 300including a torch 302 having a power control circuit configured toprovide synergic power control. The example power control circuit 304 inthe torch 106 may be implemented in a similar manner as the powercontrol circuit 160 described above with reference to FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example implementation of the powercontrol circuit 160 of FIGS. 1 and 3 . The power control circuit 160 ofFIG. 4 may be implemented, for example, in the torch 106, the remotewire feeder 104, a foot pedal, the power supply 102, and/or any othercomponent of the systems 100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1-3 .

The example power control circuit 160 of FIG. 4 includes an inputcircuit 402, a control circuit 404, and an output circuit 406. The inputcircuit 402 identifies a user input during a welding-type operationinvolving welding-type power. For example, the input circuit 402 mayreceive the control signal 158 from the power selector circuit 156 whenan operator controls the power selector circuit 156 during a weld tosynergically adjust the welding output.

The control circuit 404 determines a voltage adjustment of thewelding-type power and a wire feed speed adjustment based on the userinput (e.g., based on the control signal 158). For example, the controlcircuit 404 may determine the voltage adjustment and the wire feed speedadjustment by interpreting the user input according to a synergiccontrol scheme relating the voltage of the welding-type power and thewire feed speed output by the torch 106. In the example of FIG. 4 , thecontrol circuit 404 may look up the voltage adjustment and the wire feedspeed adjustment in a lookup table based on the control signal 158.

In some examples, the control circuit 404 identifies or determines thatthe deposition mode is to be changed (e.g., from a first deposition modeto a second deposition mode) in response to the user input. For example,as the synergic control scheme causes the voltage to increase ordecrease, a threshold may be crossed that causes the control circuit 404to determine (e.g., based the voltage adjustment, the wire feed speedadjustment, the lookup table 408, and/or any other synergic controlfactors) that the output power is more appropriately suited to adifferent deposition mode or transfer mode. Example deposition modesthat may be selected by the control circuit 404 include an arclesshotwire mode, a regulated metal deposition mode, a controlled shortcircuit mode, a short arc mode, a pulse spray mode, or a spray transfermode. In some examples, the control circuit 404 may apply a hysteresisto the thresholds so that the control circuit 404 does not repeatedlyswitch between deposition modes having similar or overlapping voltageand/or wire feed speed ranges.

The output circuit 406 generates one or more control signals 410 tocontrol the power supply 102 providing the welding-type power (e.g., tothe torch 106) to perform the voltage adjustment, and/or to control thewire feeder 104 to perform the wire feed speed adjustment. In someexamples, the one or more control signals 410 are transmitted todifferent devices (e.g., the power supply 102 and the remote wire feeder104). In some other examples, the one or more control signals 410 aretransmitted to a single device (e.g., from the power supply 102 to theremote wire feeder 104, from the remote wire feeder 104 to the powersupply 102, from the torch 106 to the power supply 202 including theintegrated wire feeder 204, etc.).

FIG. 5 is an example table 500 including corresponding voltage, wirefeed speed, and process modes that may be used to determine voltagesetpoints, wire feed speed setpoints, and/or process modes forperforming welding operations. The example table 500 may be used toimplement the lookup table 408 of FIG. 4 . While one example table 500is shown in FIG. 5 , the lookup table 408 may include multiple tablescorresponding to different welding conditions (e.g., different workpiecematerials, different wire types, different gas types, etc.). Thesynergic control scheme represented in the lookup table 408 enables theoperator to adjust the welding output to react to changes in weldingconditions, such as changes in workpiece thickness and/or seamorientation.

The example lookup table 500 of FIG. 5 correlates different input values(e.g., values represented by the control signal 158) with correspondingvoltages (e.g., arc voltage setpoints), wire feed speeds, and/ordeposition modes. For example, as an operator increases a value of thecontrol signal 158 and/or decreases the value of the control signal 158during a welding-type operation. (e.g., by incrementally depressingand/or releasing the trigger, by increasing and/or decreasing a controldevice that is operatively linked to a potentiometer, etc.), the controlcircuit 404 of FIG. 4 may look up incrementally increasing and/ordecreasing input values in the table 500 to determine the correspondingoutput voltage, wire feed speed, and/or deposition mode. In someexamples, the corresponding voltages, wire feed speeds, and/ordeposition modes are empirically determined and populated into the table500 prior to the welding operations (e.g., during manufacture,downloading a firmware update, downloading a software package, etc.).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart representative of example machine readableinstructions 600 which may be executed to implement one or moredisclosed example methods and/or apparatus. The example instructions 600may be executed by the example controller 112, the example controller134, and/or the example power control circuit 160 of FIGS. 1-4 tosynergically control a welding-type output during a welding-typeoperation. The example instructions 600 are described with reference tothe example welding-type power supply 202 of FIG. 2 , but may bemodified for execution by the power control circuit 160 of FIGS. 1, 3 ,and/or 4.

At block 602, the example controller 112 determines whether a weldingoperation is being performed. If a welding operation is not beingperformed (block 602), the control circuit 404 iterates block 602 untilwelding is occurring. When the controller 112 determines that welding isoccurring (block 602), at block 604 the power converter 110 convertsinput power to welding-type power and outputs the welding-type power tothe welding-type torch 106.

At block 606, the communications circuit 206 determines whether acontrol signal (e.g., the control signal 158) is received from a remotecontrol device (e.g., from the power selector circuit 156). If thecontrol signal 158 has been received from the remote control device(block 606), at block 608 the controller 112 determines the synergicvoltage and the wire feed speed based on the control signal 158.

At block 610, the controller 112 determines whether a change indeposition mode is required (e.g., based on the synergic control schemeused to determine the synergic voltage and the wire feed speed). If achange in deposition mode is required (block 610), at block 612 thecontroller 112 determines a deposition mode to be used based on thecontrol signal, the voltage, and/or the wire feed speed.

After determining the deposition mode (block 612), if no change in thedeposition mode is to occur (block 610), or if no control signal hasbeen received (block 606), at block 614 the controller 112 controls thepower converter 110 to output the determined voltage (e.g., via directcontrol and/or via a transceiver circuit).

At block 616, the controller 112 controls a wire feeder (e.g., theintegrated wire feeder 204, the remote wire feeder 104) to feed wire atthe determined wire feed speed (e.g., via direct control and/or via atransceiver circuit).

After controlling the power converter 110 and/or the wire feeder 104,204, control returns to block 602.

The present methods and systems may be realized in hardware, software,and/or a combination of hardware and software. The present methodsand/or systems may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputing system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computing systems. Any kind ofcomputing system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may include a general-purpose computing system with a programor other code that, when being loaded and executed, controls thecomputing system such that it carries out the methods described herein.Another typical implementation may comprise an application specificintegrated circuit or chip. Some implementations may comprise anon-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer readable) medium (e.g.,FLASH drive, optical disk, magnetic storage disk, or the like) havingstored thereon one or more lines of code executable by a machine,thereby causing the machine to perform processes as described herein. Asused herein, the term “non-transitory machine-readable medium” isdefined to include all types of machine readable storage media and toexclude propagating signals.

As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory maycomprise a first “circuit” when executing a first one or more lines ofcode and may comprise a second “circuit” when executing a second one ormore lines of code. As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or moreof the items in the list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y”means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In otherwords, “x and/or y” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example,“x, y, and/or z” means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y),(z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y and/or z”means “one or more of x, y and z”. As utilized herein, the term“exemplary” means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, orillustration. As utilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example”set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, orillustrations. As utilized herein, circuitry is “operable” to perform afunction whenever the circuitry comprises the necessary hardware andcode (if any is necessary) to perform the function, regardless ofwhether performance of the function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., bya user-configurable setting, factory trim, etc.).

While the present method and/or system has been described with referenceto certain implementations, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure withoutdeparting from its scope. For example, systems, blocks, and/or othercomponents of disclosed examples may be combined, divided, re-arranged,and/or otherwise modified. Therefore, the present method and/or systemare not limited to the particular implementations disclosed. Instead,the present method and/or system will include all implementationsfalling within the scope of the appended claims, both literally andunder the doctrine of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control device for a welding-type system, thecontrol device comprising: an input circuit configured to identify auser input during a welding-type operation involving welding-type power,wherein the user input is at least one of an analog signal or an encodeddigital signal and is representative of an amount of depression of atleast one of a torch trigger or a foot pedal; a control circuitconfigured to execute machine readable instructions to determine, duringthe welding-type operation, a voltage adjustment of the welding-typepower and a wire feed speed adjustment based on the user input andaccording to a specified relationship between a voltage of thewelding-type power and a wire feed speed at a command valuecorresponding to the user input; and an output circuit configured tooutput one or more control signals to control a welding-type powersupply providing the welding-type power to perform the voltageadjustment and to control a wire feeder to perform the wire feed speedadjustment.
 2. The control device as defined in claim 1, wherein thecontrol circuit is configured to determine the voltage adjustment andthe wire feed speed adjustment based on the synergic control scheme bylooking up the voltage adjustment and the wire feed speed adjustment ina lookup table.
 3. The control device as defined in claim 2, wherein thelookup table correlates values of the user input with correspondingvoltages and wire feed speeds.
 4. The control device as defined in claim1, wherein the control circuit is configured to change a deposition modefrom a first deposition mode to a second deposition mode in response tothe user input based on at least one of the voltage adjustment or thewire feed speed adjustment.
 5. The control device as defined in claim 4,wherein the first deposition mode is an arcless hotwire mode, aregulated metal deposition mode, a controlled short circuit mode, ashort arc mode, a pulse spray mode, or a spray transfer mode, and thesecond deposition mode is another of the arcless hotwire mode, theregulated metal deposition mode, the controlled short circuit mode, theshort arc mode, the pulse spray mode, or the spray transfer mode.
 6. Thecontrol device as defined in claim 1, wherein the output circuit isconfigured to transmit at least one of the one or more control signalsto the welding-type power supply to control the welding-type powersupply based on the voltage adjustment.
 7. The control device as definedin claim 1, wherein the control device is a welding-type torch, a footpedal, the welding-type power supply, or a remote wire feeder.
 8. Thecontrol device as defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuit isconfigured to determine the voltage adjustment and the wire feed speedadjustment based on the synergic control scheme by determining a voltagesetpoint and a wire feed speed setpoint corresponding to the controlsignal.
 9. The control device as defined in claim 1, wherein the outputcircuit is configured to transmit at least one of the one or morecontrol signals to a remote wire feeder to control the remote wirefeeder based on the wire feed speed adjustment.